The short answer
Before accepting a tenant, confirm the rental is ready and permitted, establish a consistent application process, prepare the lease and disclosures, and decide how rent and repairs will be handled.
On this page
Before you advertise
Inspect the home, address safety concerns and confirm local rental requirements. Obtain insurance suitable for the actual rental use. Build a budget that includes vacancy, repairs, taxes and insurance, not just the mortgage. Compare similar available rentals before setting your asking rent.
Before you choose an applicant
Publish clear property details and establish lawful written criteria. Use the same process for comparable applicants, protect their documents and investigate mismatches before making a decision. A screening report supports review; it does not make the housing decision for you.
Before keys change hands
Check the signed lease, required disclosures, payment instructions and deposit handling. Record the unit condition with dated photos and give the tenant a way to report urgent repairs. Keep the first rent charge separate from deposit money in your records.
After the first month
Reconcile payments against bank activity, review open repairs and follow up on missing records. Example: if a payment is still processing, check its status before requesting a second payment. Set a recurring monthly review instead of waiting for tax season.
Your next-step checklist
- Confirm rental approvals and insurance
- Use written screening criteria
- Document move-in condition
- Explain payments and repairs
- Reconcile the first month
Sources and further reading
Take the worksheet with you
Download the first-rental checklist (CSV). Open it in your spreadsheet app and fill it with your own records.
The Rentari team writes and updates this guide. Examples illustrate decisions and do not describe customer results. Found an error or an unclear step? Send a correction with a link to this page and the wording you’d change.
